He Jin
He Jin | |
---|---|
何進 | |
General-in-Chief (大將軍) | |
In office 184 – 22 September 189 | |
Monarch | Emperor Ling of Han / Emperor Shao of Han |
Intendant of Henan (河南尹) | |
In office 180–184 | |
Monarch | Emperor Ling of Han |
Court Architect (將作大匠) | |
In office 180–184 | |
Monarch | Emperor Ling of Han |
Palace Attendant (侍中) | |
In office 180–184 | |
Monarch | Emperor Ling of Han |
Administrator of Yingchuan (潁川太守) | |
In office ?–180 | |
Monarch | Emperor Ling of Han |
Personal details | |
Born | Unknown Nanyang, Henan |
Died | [1] Luoyang, Henan | 22 September 189
Parent |
|
Relatives |
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Occupation | Military general, politician |
Courtesy name | Suigao (遂高) |
Peerage | Marquis of Shen (慎侯) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Han Empire |
Unit | Han Imperial Forces |
Battles/wars | Yellow Turban Rebellion Massacre of the Eunuchs |
He Jin (
Life
He Jin was born into a family of butchers in Nanyang,[4] hometown of the dynastic founder Emperor Guangwu. During the reign of Emperor Ling, his younger half-sister entered the palace and soon became one of the emperor's favourites.[5] In January 181, she was made empress and He Jin henceforth began a speedy escalation up the bureaucratic ladder.
When the Yellow Turban Rebellion erupted in 184, He Jin was appointed General-in-Chief (大將軍). He commanded the imperial armory, secured strategic forts around the capital and moved quickly to crush the uprising at Luoyang led by Ma Yuanyi (馬元義), a follower of the rebel leader, Zhang Jue. The campaign was deemed a success and He Jin was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Shen (慎侯). After the rebellion was quelled, He Jin continued in the role of General-in-Chief, technically in control of all the imperial armies. During this time, other members of his family, such as his younger step-brother He Miao (何苗), were also elevated to positions of importance.
In 188, perhaps as a counterweight to the power of the He family, Emperor Ling created the Army of the Western Garden. The emperor ostentatiously paraded in front of the army and had himself named "Supreme General" (無上將軍). The emperor also had the army placed under the command of Jian Shuo, a trusted eunuch. By commanding the Army of the Western Garden, the emperor could put He Jin under his own command. The military prowess of this new army was never showcased, however, as it was disbanded less than a year later.
When Emperor Ling died in the early months of 189, the stage was set for a showdown between He Jin and the eunuch faction. Jian Shuo plotted to lure He Jin into a trap at the imperial palace where he would be assassinated. However, when He Jin arrived, a minor official Pan Yin (潘隱) subtly warned He Jin about Jian Shuo's plot. Astonished, He Jin returned to his own camp and evaded the assassination attempt. Afterwards, He Jin had Jian Shuo arrested, executed, and then seized command of the troops previously under Jian Shuo's command.
With the support of the elite Yuan family, particularly Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the succession dispute was resolved in favour of Liu Bian, the son of Empress He, who ascended the throne in the fifth month of that year. He Jin and his sister, now the Empress Dowager, jointly took on the role of regent.
During the summer months, He Jin and his subordinates engaged the
After hearing of He Jin's death, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, both with significant control of military forces within the capital, stormed the palace and massacred the eunuchs. The resulting power vacuum allowed Dong Zhuo to seize control of the imperial court. As soon as he held supremacy over the capital, Dong Zhuo deposed the emperor in favour of the Prince of Chenliu, who came to be known as Emperor Xian. The deposition as well as Dong Zhuo's subsequent atrocities incurred the wrath of many. In 190, warlords from the eastern provinces formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, which kicked off a series of civil wars that were to last for nearly a century.
Family
He Jin had at least two half-siblings and a step-brother:
- Empress He, the empress consort of Emperor Ling and mother of Emperor Shao
- Lady He, full sister of Empress He, who married the adopted son of the eunuch Zhang Rang
- Step-brother: He Miao (何苗), courtesy name Shuda (叔達), born "Zhu Miao" (朱苗), an elder half-brother of Empress He born of the same mother. Thus, He Miao is actually not blood-related to He Jin. He served as General of Chariots and Cavalry (車騎將軍), and was killed by He Jin's subordinate Wu Kuang (吳匡) and Dong Zhuo's brother Dong Min in late September 189 (after He Jin's death) for sympathizing with the eunuch faction who assassinated He Jin.[6]
According to historical sources, it is widely believed that He Jin had at least one son, He Xian (何咸), who survived the downfall of the He family in 189, and who had a son,
See also
References
- ^ a b de Crespigny (2007), p. 312.
- ^ He Miao had no blood relations with He Jin, as He Miao shared the same mother with Empress Lingsi; his original surname was Zhu. (皇后兄何进,异父兄朱苗,...) Houhanshu vol.104. He Zhen was Zhu Miao's mother's second husband.
- ^ (張讓子婦,太后之妹也。) Houhanshu vol. 69.
- ^ (灵思何皇后讳某,南阳宛人。家本屠者,以选入掖庭。) Houhanshu, vol.10 part 2
- ^ (何进字遂高,南阳宛人也。异母女弟选入掖庭为贵人,有宠于灵帝,...) Houhanshu vol.69
- ^ (吴匡等素怨苗不与进同心,而又疑其与宦官同谋,乃令军中曰:“杀大将军者即车骑也,士吏能为报仇乎?”进素有仁恩,士卒皆流涕曰:“愿致死!”匡遂引兵与董卓弟奉车都尉旻攻杀苗,弃其尸于苑中。) Houhanshu, vol.69
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
- Fan, Ye (5th century). Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).